Ethnobotanical exploration of polypetalous riparian flora along Beas river in Himachal Pradesh utilized by traditional practitioners in the management of hypertension

Polypetalous plants of Riparian vegetation along the Beas River of Himachal Pradesh were utilized to treat various diseases. Extensive fieldwork was carried out to document the traditional use of ethnomedicinal plants, and a survey was conducted from March 2024 to June 2024 to assess the significance of these plants in healthcare practices. A total of 143 informants, including 65 men and 78 women, were randomly chosen for interviews via semi-structured questionnaires. The study computed several quantitative indices: frequency citation, Jaccard index, family importance value, and relative frequency of citation. Thirty polypetalous plant species distributed among 15 different families were identified for their use in treating hypertension in Himachal Pradesh. The predominant life form documented in the study was herbs (17 species). The most typical preparation mode was powder (11 species), and plant parts were root (8 species). Among the families, Fabaceae showed the highest family importance value of 20.97, and the relative frequency of citation varied between 0.10 and 0.41 across the reported plant species. This research bridges the conventional knowledge of polypetalous plants offering a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutics for hypertension.